Better Outcomes for Stroke Sufferers
Stroke affects more than 800,000 individuals each year. Two-thirds of survivors receive rehabilitative services after hospitalization. In addition to improvements in symptom identification and delivery of care, research regarding stroke rehabilitation also needed an update to create better guidelines for post-stroke rehabilitative care.
The American Heart Association (AHA) published a guideline with input from Dobson DaVanzo & Associates and the American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association. Their multi-year study strongly recommends that stroke patients seek rehabilitation through acute inpatient rehab hospitals (IRF) instead of skilled nursing facilities (SNF) for better outcomes.
Key patient findings:
– Recovered faster. IRF patients went home 14 days sooner and experienced more functional recovery with their return to community. (The average length of an IRF stay for a stroke patient was less than half of that of the average SNF stay (15.5 vs. 32.1 days).
– Stayed home longer. Former INF patients stayed home 92 more days without receiving more facility-based care.
Based on the results of the study, the AHA concluded that stroke rehabilitation requires a sustained and coordinated effort from a large team, including the patient and his or her goals, family and friends, other caregivers (e.g., personal care attendants), physicians, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, recreation therapists, psychologists, nutritionists, social workers, and others. Both communication and coordination, among these team members, are critical in maximizing the effectiveness and efficiency of rehabilitation and underlie the entire AHA guideline. Without communication and coordination, isolated efforts to rehabilitate the stroke survivor are unlikely to help them achieve their full potential.
At Sheltering Arms, our approach to stroke rehabilitation is holistic, involving the patient, family and rehabilitation team, and focuses on every aspect of the patient’s medical, psychological and social needs. Sheltering Arms offers expert care at every stage of the rehabilitation process, from the hospital to outpatient setting and beyond. All of these services are designed to help stroke survivors regain independence, attain the fullest recovery possible and return to the life they enjoy.
If you know someone who could benefit from inpatient stroke rehabilitation, click here to learn more information or call toll-free (877) 56-REHAB
Additional Resources:
Guidelines for Adult Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery: A Guideline for healthcare Professionals.